As I’ve been out across Colliers Wood, Pollards Hill and St Helier wards in the last three weeks I’ve been horrified by the amount of litter around Merton and it seems to be getting worse. I’ve been picking it up myself and there have been organised litter picks by groups of residents which are very welcome.

Yet in the last week alone, residents in Ravensbury contacted me after used tampons were dumped in their garden, a local vicar complained about a pile of cigarette butts dumped in a curbside and a bed was dumped in the street in Colliers Wood.

Of course, Labour-run Merton Council is letting us down by not sweeping after bin collections but it would be too easy to blame them or to say simply that wheelie bins are the answer.  A report by MPs last week, recognised that dramatic increases in fly-tipping and the number of fast food outlets combined with a lack of action by the government have contributed to littering becoming 'endemic' in England.

I’m proud of this area. The council and government must take action, but we must all play our own part in not contributing to the problem and challenging the attitudes of those that think it’s OK to litter.

Richard Hilton

UKIP Parliamentary candidate

Mitcham and Morden